The Ariza Experiment

Rockets exploring the possibilities of their new acquisition

Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer

Houston - Trevor Ariza has heard all the critics. He knows the limitations the naysayers have placed on his game: the pointed words which label him as little more than a spot-up shooter who must piggyback superstar players for his points. He hears their cries, accepts their opinions and then proceeds to carry on with the business of proving every single one of them wrong.

Pro sports are filled with hundreds of similar stories. Athletes and teams are constantly searching for sources of new motivation and Ariza is certainly not alone in using perceived slights and negativity as fuel for the fire which burns within. But when all is said and done, the only thing that truly matters is the end result – not the motivational source. And, ultimately, that end is achieved through nothing more than hard work, dedication and the execution of a finely-crafted plan. Those are the things which matter most. And that’s precisely what Ariza and the Rockets have been working on from the moment he signed on the dotted line to make Houston home.

This being the opening week of training camp, the Ariza experiment remains a work in progress. Head coach Rick Adelman and his staff are still trying to figure out the best way to utilize Ariza’s skill set. But know this: the coaches absolutely believe Ariza is capable of carrying more of the offensive load than he’s ever before been asked at the NBA level, and that fact has already manifested itself during the squad’s scrimmages which have witnessed the UCLA-product regularly coming off screens for midrange jumpers and slashing to the basket with ill intent.

“That’s what I’ve been working on this past summer,” explains Ariza. “I’m getting a lot more comfortable with shooting the ball from midrange, instead of just shooting it from three or inside the key. The coaches have given me a lot of confidence as well as my teammates, so that’s just a part of offense that I’ve got to learn and (continue to improve upon).

“I can handle the ball, I can create for myself and I can create for others. I’m going to get a lot more opportunities to show what I’ve been working on and the stuff I’ve been learning over the years. I’ll have an opportunity to grow as a player.”

That’s precisely what General Manager Daryl Morey had in mind when he signed the 24-year old to a 5-year contract fresh off his sterling postseason performance which helped lift the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA title last June. Like his coaching staff, Morey loves Ariza’s potential and room for growth, though the Rockets’ GM has gone on record as saying he’ll be satisfied with his investment if Ariza simply plays at the same level he’s displayed over the course of the last couple years.

Still, it’s impossible not to be tantalized by the prospect of what Ariza might one day become. His length, quickness and athleticism allow him to run the floor like a greyhound and defend like a demon. Little wonder then that assistant coach Elston Turner sees flashes of a future Hall of Famer when asked whom he’d like to see Ariza model his game after.

“When you look at his size, length and athleticism, the player I always think of is Scottie Pippen,” says Turner. “I’d like to see Trevor handle the ball and be wiry, slashing and cutting like that. He already has the length and athleticism which, that alone, gives us something we didn’t have from that position last year. He’s going to rebound the ball and he really knows how to play. He’s still a young guy. We are going to ask him and probably demand from him to play a little bit out of his comfort zone in terms of not being such a spot-up player; you know, make something happen with the ball in his hand – like Pippen used to do.

“We need to replace points. So if he can average 15, 16 or 17 points - which I think he can if we put the ball in his hands a little bit slicing and cutting – that would be ideal. He’s just always been in that complementary role alongside Kobe and those other guys. He’s never been the focal point but we’re going to change that just a little bit and we’ll see how he responds.”

One thing no one questions, however, is Ariza’s ability at the defensive end. The Rockets gave opposing wings fits a year ago by sending stalwarts Shane Battier and Ron Artest their way, and Houston figures to be just as fearsome by swapping Artest for Ariza; given the Rockets’ lack of a true shot-blocking threat inside, they’d better be.

“I think they’re going to be just as good,” says Adelman. “Trevor has all that length and quickness and Shane’s going to always work, it’s just that we’re a different team. We don’t have the size inside we had last year, so our perimeter people have to be a lot better.

“(Ariza and Battier) are going to be very important to us. We’re pretty young as a team and those guys have been on the court a lot and played in good situations. So that’s one of our strengths right there to have those two guys playing together.”

Perhaps it’s only appropriate that Houston’s new wingman doubles as the perfect symbol for this team in transition. Young, talented and full of potential, both Ariza and the Rockets enter the season equipped with an ample supply of hope and plenty of questions still to be answered. Ariza’s response to the latter: bring it on.

“We all have (chips on our shoulders),” he says. “Personally, I have it because everybody thinks that I’m not going to be able to do anything here. As a team we do as well because we are underdogs, so we want to prove that we can play with the elite.”

They’ll both get that opportunity soon enough. But now it’s time to get back to work - to return to the business of flashing off screens, driving through the lane and finishing with authority; to spark the team in transition; to lock down the league’s elite scorers; and, yes, to create for both himself and his teammates. Trevor can do all of these things. He’s shown as much already.

The key is consistency.

The Ariza experiment is well underway.

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